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EAC leaders recommit on faster integration

Xinhua, March 8, 2015 Adjust font size:

Heads of State of the East African Community Saturday reaffirmed their collective resolve to continuously work together in pursuit of the set vision and goals of fast-tracking the integration process for the benefit of the citizenry of the Northern Corridor region.

Meeting at Kigali Serena Hotel, presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Tanzania's Jakaya Kikwete, Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Burundi's Second Vice President Gervais Rufyikiri, commended the achievements made under the Northern Corridor Integration Projects (NCIP) initiative and called for faster integration of the region to bring about prosperity.

The meeting was also attended by South Sudan President Salva Kiir and Ethiopia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Fourteen projects including infrastructure, energy, transport, ICT and trade have been launched over time under the Northern Corridor.

While opening the summit, President Kagame emphasized the importance of maintaining the impetus.

"The results we have achieved together so far, he said, should motivate us to do more and faster," said the president.

"With political will and prompt follow-through, we can achieve the tangible results the people of our region need and deserve," Kagame said.

President Kenyatta suggested that they could create a region that has a strong voice on a global scale and is an attractive place for investment, Kenyatta said.

During last year's NCIP Heads of State summit in Nairobi, the presidents reaffirmed their resolve to fast-track the implementation of infrastructure projects.

The projects include the Standard Gauge Railway for which they directed Ministers of Finance, Infrastructure and Attorneys General or Ministers of Justice to jointly mobilize financing, as well as completing agreements on power purchasing and work on building electricity transmission lines.

The 9th Northern Corridor Integration Projects Summit also marked the first meeting involving members of the private sector.

The presidents resolved to facilitate a stronger partnership with the private sector including through financing the Northern Corridor projects.

The next summit will take place in Uganda within the next two months. Endi